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This article is part of the collection: The 14 CMMC Domains: A Comprehensive Guide
CMMC Deep Dive: Risk Assessment (RA)
A guide to the Risk Assessment (RA) domain, focusing on the identification and management of cybersecurity risks.
Published: June 25th, 2024By: CMMC Dashboard TeamLast updated: August 7th, 2025
Risk AssessmentRAVulnerability ManagementPOA&M
This article is part of our series on The 14 CMMC Domains.
The Risk Assessment (RA) domain requires organizations to formally identify, analyze, and manage cybersecurity risks. This proactive process helps prioritize security efforts where they are needed most.
Why It Matters
You can't protect against threats you don't know exist. A formal risk assessment process moves an organization from a reactive security posture to a proactive, risk-informed one.
Key Practices
- RA.L2-3.11.1: Periodically assess the risk to operations, assets, and individuals.
- RA.L2-3.11.2: Scan for vulnerabilities in systems and applications periodically.
- RA.L2-3.11.3: Remediate vulnerabilities in accordance with risk assessments.
What Assessors Look For
- A documented risk assessment policy and methodology.
- Completed risk assessment reports (at least annual).
- Results from vulnerability scans.
- A Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) for remediating identified risks and vulnerabilities.